France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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